The world's largest premium aluminium producer, Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), has joined the UAE hydrogen leadership initiative program by signing an agreement with the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure.
Launched last year during Cop26 in Glasgow, the initiative seeks to achieve the country's ambition to be a global leader in low-carbon hydrogen as global demand for clean fuel surges.
On 26th September 2022, the Company said, "As a member, EGA will explore collaboration opportunities across industries and conduct further research and development into the future uses of hydrogen in decarbonization."
Moreover, hydrogen will be explored in the processes of aluminium production and its local supply chain from a technical and economic perspective.
Abdulnasser bin Kalban, the CEO of EGA, said, "Aluminium's use plays a key role in decarbonising other industries economy-wide, which makes decarbonising aluminium production even more of an essential challenge for our industry."
"Replacing natural gas with hydrogen is one part of the potential solution, and we look forward to accelerating our work in this area in partnership with the other members of the hydrogen leadership initiative, in co-operation with the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, and support of the UAE's Net Zero by 2050 Strategic Initiative."
Suhail Al Mazrouei, the Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, said earlier in 2022, "The UAE aims to capture about 25 per cent of the global hydrogen market and is in discussions with many countries to export it."
UAE has joined the International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in the Economy. In different sectors, this international partnership aims to facilitate and accelerate the transition to clean and efficient energy and mobility systems using hydrogen and fuel cell technologies.
In June, the Abu Dhabi Department of Energy said, "We are developing a hydrogen policy with new regulations and standards and aims to become a leader in the international hydrogen market."
EGA will also join the Abu Dhabi hydrogen alliance and the national hydrogen technical committee, which was created to assess hydrogen's role in the energy transition and explore export opportunities.
A preliminary agreement was signed last year between EGA and GE for decarbonising GE's natural gas turbines with hydrogen.
The Company said, "Hydrogen has the potential to replace natural gas as a vector for thermal energy, such as in EGA's casthouse furnaces and steam boilers, as well as for turbines."
Globally, the aluminium industry emits more than half its greenhouse gas emissions from smelting aluminium, which is energy-intensive.
Al Mazrouei said, "The agreement for EGA to join the hydrogen leadership initiative ... will create a new model for constructive co-operation to strengthen the position of hydrogen as a key enabler in the decarbonisation of carbon-intensive industries."
He stated, "The ministry is prepared to provide the necessary support to all its partners at the local, regional and global levels to enable and develop the clean energy sector's growth."
"The UAE sees hydrogen as a promising fuel for the future to achieve carbon neutrality and the UAE Net Zero by 2050 Strategic Initiative. Such partnerships will help accelerate the transition to clean and renewable energy," he added.
source https://www.alcircle.com/news/ega-inks-agreement-to-join-uae-hydrogen-leadership-initiative-in-support-of-decarbonization-efforts-84695
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